Artavasdes II of Armenia

Artavasdes II of Armenia (died 31 BC) was King of Armenia from 55 BC to 34 BC, succeeding Tigranes and preceding Artaxias II.

Biography
Artavasdes was a son of King Tigranes the Great and Cleopatra of Pontus (the daughter of Mithridates VI of Pontus). He became King of Armenia in 55 BC, and he was allied to the Roman Republic. Marcus Licinius Crassus, a glory-seeker, refused Artavasdes' assistance in his war against Parthia, leading to his death at the disastrous Battle of Carrhae. The Parthians then invaded Armenia, and Artavasdes was forced to switch sides. In 36 BC, the Roman general Mark Antony invaded Armenia and once again forced Artavasdes to switch sides, but he abandoned the Romans once they left Armenia to conquer Atropatene. In 34 BC, Antony planned a new invasion of Armenia, and he arrested Artavasdes at his capital of Artaxata; he was deposed, succeeded by his son Artaxias II of Parthia, and was taken to Alexandria as a prisoner. He refused to render homage to the Egyptian queen Cleopatra, and she had him beheaded after the Battle of Actium in 31 BC.